Tablao Brings Spain Back to SoNo in a Big Way – Review

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Big, bold flavors perfectly executed. Fun and lively vibes. That’s what we took away from a recent visit to Tablao, a new Spanish-Mediterranean tapas and wine bar that opened at 86 Washington Street in SoNo back in May. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we can’t wait to go back to this hotspot again. What made it such a nice experience, exactly? Well, you’ll just need to read our review to find out.

New Haven Restaurant Makes Top 100 Best Restaurants List from OpenTable

Cojunudo from Olea in New Haven, a Top 100 Restaurant. Picture from Olea website.

We might have a slight problem and addiction with OpenTable. But, hey, that’s okay. We use it to set up reservations, check out reviews on restaurants, and stack up points to earn some cash back on our meals.

But, aside from being a great app and site to use, OpenTable also gathers an amazing list each year of the most loved restaurants. This year’s list, 100 Best Restaurants for Foodies in America is a result of combing through over 5,000,000 reviews at more than 20,000 restaurants! 

The 2014 OmNomys: Celebrating the Best in Food in Fairfield County

Well, here we are, already at the end of 2014. Man, how time flies. But fret not friends, because the end of another year means another celebration of the best of the best in Fairfield County. That’s right, it’s time for the 4th Annual OmNomys! By now most of you know how this works, but for those of you new here, this is a list of the best that we’ve experienced in 2014… NOT necessarily the best EVER in Fairfield County. If your favorite spot or food didn’t make it on here, maybe it was on our list back in 2011, 2012, or 2013… and if not, let us know so we can check it out in 2015! 

So, without further ado, here we go:

Best Ambiance: Cask Republic, Stamford

With not one, but two fireplaces, Cask Republic has a warm, rustic, and down-homey kind of vibe going on. It’s hard to think of a chill spot with more class. It’s the perfect place to meet up with friends, have some drinks (from which there are many to choose), and try out some great gastropub grub.

Truck or Treat? Have Both at the Meriden Food Truck Fest! An OmNomCT Exclusive.

Sure, on the weekend of October 25 (12-10) & 26 (11-8) you could go to any ‘ole Halloween party and get some candy, chips, and if you’re lucky a cute little cupcake with a gummy worm on top… or you could go to the Westfield Mall in Meriden and hit up the Meriden Food Truck Fest where you can stuff your face with fantastic food from an estimated 40 food trucks. With both trucks AND treats, there’s no excuse not to go… 

 

But OmNom, the best part of Halloween parties is we can dress up in slutty, errr, I mean scary, costumes!

Fret not our friends, the Meriden Food Truck Festival has you covered. They WANT you to come dressed in your best costume and they’ll have a professional photographer booth set up so you can show it off.

Ibiza Tapas Restaurant + Wine Bar: a taste de las tapas Españolas en Danbury

After taking a trip to Barcelona, Spain a couple years back we became a little “tapas shy” back here in the states.  Ok, we know what you’re thinking, OmNomCT shy about anything, let alone food?  Yeah right!  It’s true though!  We had such amazing tapas in the motherland that we were afraid we might be a bit disappointed by the local tapas spots.  But, after Ibiza owner, Ignacio Blanco assured us that his tapas were the real-deal (and he should know, he’s from Spain and has spent a lot of time there), we said, what the heck, let’s do it!So last Sunday evening we headed on over after we worked up an appetite failing miserably at a round of golf in Southbury.  The restaurant is in a bit of an odd location within a strip mall, but they’ve done a nice job making you forget that once you get in.  The walls are sleek and dark, the lighting dim, and there were some festive brightly colored paintings throughout, much like many of the tapas spots we went to in Barcelona.  The scene wasn’t too lively, but it was a Sunday night which usually tends to be a chill night for restaurants.  Before we went at it, we talked with Ignacio a bit and learned more about his experiences in Spain and his other restaurants, including Miegas (another tapas restaurant) in Norwalk which we LOVED but never got a chance to write up back in 2010.

CT’s Biggest Food Truck Festival EVER, ever, ever: 1st Annual Connecticut Food Truck Festival

Set aside July 19 and 20…now…seriously…we’ll wait…

Update:  the festival organizer changed the price for tickets to $5.  Bring your ticket back on Sunday and pay only $2 admission! 

Connecticut peeps really like their food trucks.  And, on July 19 and 20 from 11-7 on both days, CT peeps are gonna fall straight up, head-over-heels in LOVE with a helluva lot of food trucks at the The Connecticut Food Truck Festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds.  Although the final details are still being worked out, there are already a few dozen trucks that have been signed up, with 40-50 expected by the time of the festival.  That brings this festival into the record books here in CT as the biggest food truck festival.  The previous record was at Westbrook Tanger Outlets with about 20 food trucks, and the recent RBS Food Truck Festival clocking in at 15.  And, the top record will soon be broken with an estimated 33 trucks at the Hamden Food Truck Festival…still not as big as the CT Food Truck Fest, though.  

SoNo Restaurant Week 2014: Classics and New Digs Like Local, Johnny Utah’s, Quartino, and Mama’s Boy

June 8-13, 2014

SoNo Restaurant Week is back from June 8-13 and this year, there’s some fresh meat (literally and metaphorically speaking) as well as some of your favorite spots to check out.  First, let’s go through the new spots like Quartino Trattoria Vineria which has taken over where Bacchus used to be, Johnny Utah’s which has taken over Black Bear and is putting a lil’ bit a country into SoNo, Sweet Lucy Lynn’s which was John Dough’s and Archie Moore’s, and Local Kitchen & Beer Bar (30 brews on tap) which is a reboot of NOLA and a sister restaurant to the Fairfield location.

Nomworthy Bites of CT Food News, Vol. 5: BBQ, Memorial Day, Brews, Tastings + More…

 

Yes, this dove brings the olive branch of peace, but can he also bring us a cocktail? We’re thirsty as hell…

Introducing….cans! Pic from Half Full’s FB page

Again, there’s so much going on this week and next week, that we wanted to get a whole slew of events out there for ya.  Don’t ever complain that there’s nothing to do here in Fairfield County!  Also, don’t forget to enter our FB contest to win 2 tickets to The Meatball Challenge of Fairfield County, valued at $120.  The contest ends Friday, so make sure to enter ASAP!  

May 21:  Barcelona Stamford is hosting a new series of events called “The Cocktail Classroom.”  This month’s class is called Whiskey Creations.  Okay, sold!  Check out how to make some great cocktails with whiskey while Executive Chef Scott Quis pairs them with some yummy bites.  Cost is $35 per person.

Barcelona SoNo Turns Spanish Farmers’ Market for La Vida del Mercat

You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the open air markets that are dotted all around Spain.  Just a few years ago, we were able to check out La Boqueria, a huge Spanish market with stalls filled with juices, fresh fruit, meats, spices, cafes, pizza places, bars, and so much more.  It was really a dizzying experience, but we were definitely in heaven with the variety of foods that we had around.  We both agreed that if we had something like this near us, we’d be there every single week.  

 

Well, wouldn’t you know it, but Barcelona in SoNo is bringing some of this vibe back with their own version of the Spanish farmers’ market with “La Vida del Mercat” on April 16 at 7 pm.  They’ll be featuring some local food, brews, and drinks, while also highlighting some of Barcelona’s favorite imports from Spain and Europe including cheese, wine, and meats.  And, if you desire something a little more substantial than just nibbles here and there , there will be some specially crafted dishes using produce from the Westport based Speckled Rooster Farm to nom away on.  All of this awesomeness comes together for just $40 per person (sign up here), quite a deal considering everything you’ll get with descriptions from a recent press release:

Sustainability, Local, Organic: CT NOFA Winter Conference This Weekend w/ Workshops, Vendors + Local Lunch

CT NOFA, The Connecticut Chapter of Northeast Organic Farming Association, is “a growing community of farmers, gardeners, land care professionals, and consumers that encourages a healthy relationship to the natural world.”  They’ve been changing Connecticut one shovel, plant, farm, consumer, and restaurant at a time since 1982 and they are going stronger than ever.

From time to time, CT NOFA has events and meetings and this weekend is their 32nd Annual Winter Conference.  On March 1, from 8:30-5 pm, at the Midtown Campus (meet at Berkshire Hall) of Western CT State University, you’ll have a chance to attend workshops, listen to the keynote speech, bid on raffles, buy CT products, and have lunch from local restaurants and purveyors that put good, healthy, local and sustainable food first.  Tickets are $35 for students and farm interns/apprentices or $60 for all others and will help to fund CT NOFA’s mission of making Connecticut better.